(05-27-2022 12:32 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(05-27-2022 11:22 AM)Sellers dweller Wrote:  I think it is somewhat silly to look at a verbal commit as anything more than that school is currently in the lead to land that recruit.

It has been that way for sometime (at least a decade or so). Until signing day when they actually sign their LOI, a verbal commit doesn't mean much, and coaches don't stop recruiting kids just because they commit to another school. It isn't just a thing of kids getting a "better/bigger" offer (ie Viotto) but there are plenty of kids who commit to a big time program and then switch to another big program (for example, Michigan had a kid in their class last year who was committed to Notre Dame but end up signing with Michigan, so basically a lateral move). It also works both ways, there are stories of kids committing to a big program and then as signing day nears the school says "ehh...not so fast" because they are able to find a better player.

I remember someone in the sports industry tell me DECADES ago that the LOI program was designed to provide some legal structure and order to the process.

Once the player signs the LOI other schools MUST cease to have contact with that recruit, esp. with the purpose of trying to get the player to break his legally binding LOI contract.

Or after a person signs a contract to buy a house. Once that contract is signed other potential buyers must stand down. A contact is a contract and others can not encourage others to break a contract.

Yes, I wasn't saying that once they sign their LOI other schools continue to recruit them. I was saying when they commit to a school other coaches keep recruiting them UNTIL they sign their LOI. Once the LOI is signed it's "illegal" to recruit the kid, but until pen meets paper its not technically against any rule.